Archicad 29 Goodies -

Previously requiring third-party plugins, Archicad 29 allows you to select a region of a point cloud (E57, LAS, RCP) and use "Convert Selection to Morph" . The tool analyzes planar surfaces, creates a mesh, then allows you to simplify, smooth, or extract a solid Morph in seconds.

Archicad 29 introduces a limited but useful Vector PDF Editing tool. If you import a vector PDF (e.g., a site survey from a civil engineer), you can now:

No more tracing PDFs by hand.

ArchiCAD 29 strengthens its collaboration toolkit to better support multidisciplinary teams. File-based and cloud-based teamwork features are more stable and offer clearer conflict resolution cues, reducing friction during simultaneous model editing. Improved support for open formats such as IFC and enhanced import/export fidelity help maintain data integrity when exchanging models with engineers, contractors, and consultants using other BIM platforms.

These interoperability improvements make ArchiCAD 29 a more reliable hub for project coordination, enabling architects to retain model intelligence while integrating external inputs without extensive manual rework.

You can now select "Logical" patterns (e.g., every other mullion, every third panel) without using complex selection sets. This allows for rapid patterning—think alternating opaque and glass panels or rhythmic structural fins.

In the context of software development, "goodies" refer to features that may not warrant a splash page on a marketing brochure but fundamentally alter the daily grind of the architectural professional. Archicad 29 represents a maturation cycle in Graphisoft’s development roadmap. While previous versions laid the groundwork for open BIM and cloud integration, version 29 focuses heavily on "quality of life" improvements. This paper posits that the aggregation of these smaller features delivers a higher Return on Investment (ROI) for the firm than the headline additions, reducing friction in the modeling-to-documentation pipeline.

While technically a separate app, the BIMx mobile/desktop viewer updates in sync with Archicad 29. BIMx 3.0 now supports:

| Feature | Archicad 28 | Archicad 29 (Goodie) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Consultant Changes | Manual merge, risky | Coordination Manager (Accept/Reject list) | | Point Clouds | Static; slow to section | Live clipping & real-time sectioning | | Stairs | Standard treads | Tread overhang & Riser offset | | MEP Workflow | IFC export -> Edit -> IFC Import | Live Bridge (Push/Pull) | | Graphic Overrides | Trial & error | Conflict Diagnosis |


A picture of a student bidding on a sign language textbook. A mother (christy124) writes:

Dr. Vicars,
I have a perfectly healthy 2 year old that refuses to talk. We have a vocabulary of 124 signs (most of what are on the 100 signs page). We constantly go through the "What's the sign for ..." and pull up the bookmark of your web page. If you actually have time to read this email can you answer a question...We need a bigger list of signs, would you recommend me going through the lessons or are you working on a "more signs" page of maybe 100 to 200 of the most commonly used signs? ...
-- Christy


Christy,
Hello :)
The main series of lessons in the ASL University Curriculum are based on research I did into what are the most common concepts used in everyday communication.   I compiled lists of concepts from concordance research based on a language database (corpus) of hundreds of thousands of language samples.  Then I took the concepts that appeared the most frequently and translated those concepts into their equivalent ASL counterparts and included them in the lessons moving from most frequently used to less frequently used.
Thus, going through the lessons sequentially starting with lesson 1 allows you to reach communicative competence in sign language very quickly--and it is based on second language acquisition research (mixed with a couple decades of real world ASL teaching experience).
Cordially,
- Dr. Bill

p.s. Another very real and important part of the Lifeprint ASL curriculum project is that of being able to use the "magic" of the internet to provide a high quality sign language curriculum to those who need it the most but are often least able to afford it.

p.p.s. This cartoon (adapted with permission from the artist) sums up my philosophy regarding curriculum. Students shouldn't have to pay outrageous amounts of money just to learn sign language. 
-Dr. Bill


Image of how to subscribe to the ASL training center. Hello ASL Heroes!
I'm glad you are here! You can learn ASL! You've picked a great topic to be studying. Signing is a useful skill that can open up for you a new world of relationships and understanding. I've been teaching American Sign Language for over 20 years and I am passionate about it. I'm Deaf/hh, my wife is d/Deaf, I hold a doctorate in Deaf Education / Deaf Studies. My day job is being a full-time tenured ASL Instructor at California State University (Sacramento).

What you are learning here is important. Knowing sign language will enable you to meet and interact with a whole new group of people. It will also allow you to communicate with your baby many months earlier than the typical non-signing parent! Learning to sign even improves your brain! (Acquiring a second language is linked to neurological development and helps keep your mind alert and strong as you age.)

It is my goal to deliver a convenient, enjoyable, learning experience that goes beyond the basics and empowers you via a scientifically engineered approach and modern methodologies that save you time & effort while providing maximum results.

I designed this communication-focused curriculum for my own in-person college ASL classes and put it online to make it easy for my students to access. I decided to open the material up to the world for free since there are many parents of Deaf children who NEED to learn how to sign but may live too far from a traditional classroom. Now people have the opportunity to study from almost anywhere via mobile learning, but I started this approach many years ago -- way before it became the new normal.

You can self-study for free (or take it as an actual course for $483. Many college students use this site as an easy way to support what they are learning in their local ASL classes. ASL is a visual gestural language. That means it is a language that is expressed through the hands and face and is perceived through the eyes. It isn't just waving your hands in the air. If you furrow your eyebrows, tilt your head, glance in a certain direction, lean your body a certain way, puff your cheek, or any number of other "inflections" --you are adding or changing meaning in ASL. A "visual gestural" language carries just as much information as any spoken language.

There is much more to learning American Sign Language than just memorizing signs. ASL has its own grammar, culture, history, terminology and other unique characteristics. It takes time and effort to become a "skilled signer." But you have to start somewhere if you are going to get anywhere--so dive in and enjoy. Cordially.
- Dr. Bill